Stocking aligner



Oct. 9, 1951 E. P. ROSE 2,570,987

STOCKING ALIGNER Filed June 3, 1948 2 snee's-shee*b vl l 50W/M70 Fe-/PasOct. 9', 1951 E. P. ROSE sTocKING ALIGNER sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 5,1948 IIIIIIIII R E m. n M E Patented Oct. 9, 17951 HQE STCKING ALGNEREdward F. Rose, Syracuse, N., Y.

Application J une 3, 1948, Serial No. 30,78;

2 Claims.

` alignment of the same on the-legs.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide anattachment for or improvement in garments of the waist encircling typecomprising a flexible, extensible strand having a terminal clasp andsurcient extensibility to reach to the ankle oi the seated wearer andsuilicient retrieving strength to draw the stocking to .its normalposition when the wearer is standing and which if properly attached tothe stocking will insure straight seams or ribs Vwhen the stocking isautomatically drawn up.`

An important object of the invention comprises the arrangement, on agarment of the girdle or waist encompassing type, of an elongated,flexible, extensible strand attached to and guided by the garment at aposition in alignment with the rear lcenter of each leg of the wearerwhereby the clasp on the end of the strand when attached to the hem ofthe stocking just after it has been drawn over the ankle willautomatically draw the stocking to its normal position, ready forattachment of conventional garters thereto if desired, and insurecorrect alignment and a straight seam in every case.

An important feature of the invention comprises the use of a long,extremely elastic strand extending from thewaistline to below the loweredge of the garment in its retracted position and suiciently extensibleto reach to the ankle of the wearer. particularly'when seated.

Another important feature of the invention comprises sheathing or guidemeans for the extensible strand, insuring its accurate positioning onthe garment for properly aligning the stocking seam.

Other and further features and obiects of the invention will be moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawings and following specification, wherein are disclosedseveral exemplary embodiments of the invention, with the understandingthat such additions and modications may be made therein as fall withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofvthe invention. l

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a garment oi the girdle type provided withstocking aiigners constructed in accordance with the present invention,and shown positioned on a wearer;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the sheathingand guiding means of the preferred fornaci the invention;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modined attaching and guidingmeans for the elastic strand;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the strand and showing theguiding means or" Fig. 4 in plan;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a further modincation;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the strand and sheathing means ofFig. S; and

Fig. 8 represents in broken away section a strand tensioning andretrieving means adapted for use in place of the devices illustrated inthe earlier iigures.

The proper putting on and adjusting of womens stockings to present thebest appearance seems to offer dimculties to many persons. They nd itimpossible to put on a stocking so that the seam is exactly straight andcentered along the rear of the leg. Where a full length mirror is notavailable to determine the same condition, the matter must be left tothe skill of the wearer in putting on the stocking. In accordance withthe present invention, simple means is provided whereby the stocking isautomatically positioned to achieve exact alignment and location of therear seam, or in the case of stockings of the now popular seamlessvariety, a straight and untwisted arrangement of the ribs or wales.

The invention is illustrated in combination with a garment of the girdletype, although it will 'be understood `that it need not be so oom-.bined `but may be used with any suitable waist kencircling garmentwhich can be positioned garters I4 on the lower edge of the garment atappropriate intervals for supplementing the support of the stockings.

The device of the present invention comprises an elongated flexiblestrand tape, ribbon or the like I5, provided at the lower end with anysuitable clasp I6 for attachment to the upper edge of the garter hem ofa stocking. This strand is fully elastic in the embodiment shown, havingthe resiliency of a normal garter tape, but being of greater length thannormal garters may be much further extended without exceeding itselastic limit, whereby it may be drawn out to great length with butlittle effort. Such a strand is provided for each stocking and issecured at I'I in any suitable manner near the upper edge of thegarment, and a pair of them are so positioned that each is directlyabove and in alignment with the center of one leg when the garment I isin normal position. This insures then that when the strand is attachedby its clasp to a stocking it will position the same with the centerseam straight and in proper position, as will be later described. Tofurther insure such operation the strand portion which passes along theouter surface of the garment is both guided and sheathed by a coveringof suitable flexible material, such as shown at I8. In Figs. 2 and 3 afabric is shown as having its edges'l9 turned under and stitches ZIJapplied through the double thickness to secure the same to the fabric 2|of the garment I0. The turned under portions of the sheathing materialare somewhat thicker than the material of the strand I5, and hence atunnel or channel is provided in which it moves readily under its normalresilience when extending or retracting. The tunnel or channel for thestrand, being in true alignment with the desired position of the rearseam of the stocking, guides the strand from its extended to itsretracted position and insures that it draws on the stocking properly.

In use the wearer, preferably in seated position, draws the stockingover the ankle and insures that the foot is properly placed, and thendraws down the strand I attaching the clasp I5 at the rear seam. Onreleasing the clasp the strand contra cts due to its natural resilienceand draws the stocking in a straight line through the intermediateposition shown on the left leg to normal position with the seam properlylocated centrallv and straight on the back of the leg. When bothstockings are so positioned, the wearer on standing may attach to thestockings the regular garters III. which provide additional support andeoualize the tension on the periphery of the stocking.

The guiding and sheathing arrangement for that portion of the fiexiblestrand which extends the length of the garment IIJ, shown in Fig. 1 isthe preferred one but simplied modifications thereof are also available.In Figs. 4 and 5 the flexible strand I5 is shown as folded over the topedge of the garnient I0' and stitched through as shown at I'I. Thestrand is not completely sheathed but is guided by a succession of loosefitting staples 25, the shape of which is better shown in Fig. 5 where astraight horizontal top is connected by short bends to straight parallelsides 26, which pass through the fabric of the garment I0 and are bentunder as at 21 to Secure them in position. The inner ends may be coveredby suitable fabric or by the lining of the garment if desired. Thesestaples are spaced rat frequent intervals to insure the alignment of 4the strand I5 and to retain it reasonably close to the surface of thegarment at all times.

In a further modification, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the completestrand and sheath assembly is rst made up vand subsequently applied tothe garment. In this arrangement the extensible strand |52 passesloosely through a tube 29 which may be of knitted or woven fabric,unitary, assembled from conventional tape or made from such materials asplastic or metal suitably fastened to the garment. As shown it is foldedto centrally position the extensible strand and is sufficiently wide sothat stitches 30 may be passed through its edges and engage the fabricof the garment I02 for holding the assembly in position.

In Fig. 8 is shown a further embodiment in which the strand I53 is notof resilient character. It may be a conventional fabric tape, ribbon orcord and is wound on a drum 32 suitably journalled for rotation in ametal or plastic housing 33 having lugs 34 perforated for stitching orotherwise securing near the lower edge of a garment such as shown inFig. 1. The strand passes out through a tangential guide aperture 35 inthe housing and is given the necessary retractile strength by a spiralspring V36 arranged within the drum and operating in the manner of tapemeasures and the like. This spring also provides the necessaryretrieving effort while permitting the strand to be pulled out readilyfor initial attaching to the stocking. The form illustrated in Fig. 8,if arranged at the lower edge of the garment, will not require anyadditional guide means. It will be positioned directly over the desiredlocation of the seam of the stocking and will present a direct pull. Iffor reasons of comfort or the like it is desired to arrange the reelnear the top of the garment or out of alignment with the stocking seam,then resort may be had to any of the guiding or covering meansillustrated in the several figures.

While this specification has been written and the drawings arranged todisclose the retrieving straps as positioned directly over the desiredlocation of the rear stocking seams, it will be appreciated that otherpositions can equally as well be used if suitable indicia are placed onthe stocking edges to designate the correct positioning of the clasps sothat when they are drawn up as previously described the rear seams willassume their desired locale.

The construction and arrangement of the retrievable strands or strapscan be varied and modified as desired as long as they are so arranged asto be readily extensible to the desired length required to meet the edgeof the stocking when it is just placed over the ankle. The considerablelength achieved by securing the elastic tapes to the top of the garment,or near the waistline if the garment is a longer one, provides for thenecessary extensibility without exceeding the elastic limit. The devicesof the present invention are in no wise intended to supplant thecustomary garters, because they do not provide the multiple arrangementfor the support desired about the periphery of the top.

having an upper edge and a portion extending downwardly therefrom andsupporting conventional garters from the lower edge thereof, of a pairof elastic bands each having one end secured near said upper edge at theback of the garment and the other end depending below the garment, aclasp on the lower end of each of said bands at substantially the levelof the garter clasps when the bands are retracted, guides for said bandssecured to the garment near the lower edge thereof in vertical alignmentwith the desired rear seam locations of the stockings, said bands beingreadily extensible through said guides substantially to the seatedwearers ankle for attachment to the garter hems of the stockings at therear seams thereof whereby on release they pull the stockings into placewith the seams in the desired location when the wearer assumes astanding position. f

2. The device as dened in claim 1 in which each guide comprises a loosettingfabric tunnel substantially co-extensive With the length of thegarment andsecured thereto throughout its length and in alignment withthe desired stocking seam location.

EDWARD P. ROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 683,597 Forehand Oct. 1, 1901795,841 Kleinert Aug. 1, 1905 806,403 Du Pell Dec, 5, 1905 1,816,656Schweizer July 28, 1931 1,954,553 Wright Apr. 10, 1934

